Into The Light
by Dr. Kelly's Gal
Summary: Mike Stoker wants to change the life of a 7 year old child. He wants to be a true friend and mentor. And eventually adopt him. Will he? R/R Story is now complete.
1. Chapter 1

"**Into The Light" **

**By: JimiJamesHaze**

(This is a Mike Stoker story. I certainly hope that this doesn't draw any flames because I know some folks have taken exception to handicapped children being written about. Such is the theme of this story but it is a sweet story. I hope it will be received that way. This is done in Mike's POV.

I don't own anything related to Emergency! However I do own my made up characters and would not like them used without permission. Thank you!)

I never seen myself the parent of a handicapped child. Life is a real mystery sometimes with the twists and turns that it takes so unexpectedly.

I am the proud father of two healthy boys Brett and Stevey. Twelve and ten respectively. My wife Julie and I have been married for fourteen years.

For some reason, I always felt awkward around handicapped children. I can't exactly put my finger on it. I'm guessing it was a silly fear I had. Maybe because I just didn't understand the full scope of what it was like to be in the shoes of a handicapped child. But that all changed when I met a sweet little boy named Cody David Stewart.

It truly was the unlikeliest of meetings. But I truly believe fate would have it no other way. My parents have told me more than once that things always happen for a reason and I believe this was no accident.

Julie tends to agree with that. So does Brett and Stevey. They accepted Cody totally and unconditionally. I look back at that and am still totally blown away by it. It was three years ago and this is the story of how it came together.

It was a slow, sunny day when Captain Hafner walked into the Dayroom and an announcement of sorts. Captain Stanley was on vacation that particular week. He has said many times he really regretted that he wasn't there to "witness the miracle" that seemed to take place with me.

Captain Hafner told us that Chief McConnike called and told him that he chose Station 51 to play host to students from a special facility in Los Angeles. These students were handicapped but also "pretty high functioning" as Captain Hafner put it. He said that we would be stood down for about two hours so that we could have the kids experience the fire station "in every way possible." He said he wanted me to give rides in the engine, explain things, etc. and each firefighter had their assignments. Johnny and Roy would let the kids listen to their heart beats, test the bio-com just once per child, all kinds of neat things. Everyone was OK with it but I was a little apprehensive to say the least about it.

I did mention this to Captain Hafner and he said, point blank "Get over it Stoker. They are coming and there is nothing you can do about it." I wanted to ask the guys how I should present stuff to the kids, not knowing if they would catch on or not and if they didn't then how could I break it down so that they could and Roy said it would come easier than I could imagine.

I found that hard to believe. I didn't have much confidence at that point that I would be a good host. God knows I wanted to be but just didn't know if I could.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As the time got closer for our guests to arrive, we were given our assignments. After I gave the engine rides, I was to be paired with a seven year old named Cody. What I didn't know was that Cody was a very high functioning blind child. I was thankful that he was seven because Stevey was seven (at the time) so that was going to help.

Soon after, the school bus pulled up and they started unloading the bus and there were wheelchairs, walkers and canes abound. They were chattering and obviously excited about the adventure they were about to have.

Captain Hafner introduced himself once he restored order and was very welcoming He told our young visitors to "make themselves at home" but while doing that, being mindful and respectful or the crew and equipment.

Then it was our turn to entertain our young guests. Their escorts were very helpful with how to handle the more physically handicapped children. They all got a real charge out of Henry who had an abundance of puppy kisses for all. They were fascinated with the bio-com and if I didn't know any better I think Doc Brackett was enjoying being on the other end. He was very patient with the kids who had speech problems and made one and all feel pretty darn important.

They absolutely loved their engine ride! They got to blow the horn, turn on the mars lights and just enjoy the freedom and the ride. They also enjoyed listening to their heartbeats via John and Roy's stethoscopes. They also enjoyed checking out the other various things used in a rescue. John even fired up the Jaws to show how they expand and how they assist them on the job. It was met with fascination and wonder and a good many "wow" comments.

Then after that, I was officially introduced to Cody. He was a very shy, quiet child that immediately stole my heart. He was very mannerly and I could tell great potential was in this child. I introduced myself and told him that I was going to take him to the Dayroom so that he could say hello to Henry again and he liked that idea. So I guided him there and when we got to the couch, I told him to have a seat that Henry was on his right side. I noticed Cody's eyes were flitting all over and he was doing a lot of blinking as well. He asked me what Henry looked like and I sat down on the left of Henry and gently took Cody's hand and while describing Henry's stubby legs, his rather long muzzle and then his long ears the more Cody touched him, the calmer his eye action got. He asked me what color Henry was and I told him he was multi-colored and I told him what the colors were. I asked him what he liked best about school and he answered "Recess" with a giggle and I told him I liked recess too when I was his age. He was so timid. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him.

He asked me if he could give Henry a treat. I told him he would love it and I guided him toward the cookie jar that held Henry's treats. I guided Cody's hand to the lid of the jar after moving it much closer to him and Cody lifted the lid and then dropped it and promptly went into a state of total panic and fear. I did all I could to ease his anxiety and assured him it wasn't the first time it's been dropped and it surely wouldn't be the last time. I took his hand and "showed" him the chips that were in the lid and assured him it was an accident and the crew would see it that way once I explained what happened. That seemed to put his mind at ease.

His fear and anxiety concerned me. Red flags went up in my mind all over the place and the first thing I thought was that it was highly possible before ending up in the facility he was in, that he could have very well been an abused child. I guided him back over to Henry and he sat down and gave the treat to the lazy hound and he really loved it. Cody was happy that he did and it seem to put his mind at further ease. He asked me what Henry was like as a puppy and I told him I didn't know because we didn't have him then. Then he asked me if Henry ever stepped on his ears because they were so long and I told him we had never seen that but it was possible he did as a puppy because some Basset puppies do get tangled up in their ears. His escort came in the Dayroom and asked if he was having fun with the dog and he said "Yes Ma'am." She smiled warmly; it was easy to tell she cared a great deal about Cody. Which that was a very good thing to see.

Just before the students left, we gave them some treats to take with them. Little plastic firefighter hats, a plastic badge and a sticker that had LA County Station 51 on it. They were so thrilled with them. The escorts took pictures of them with all of us and it was a touching moment. I asked Cody's escort if I could speak with her really quick while they were loading the kids back on the bus and she obliged.

I told her if it was none of my business, she could tell me but I was so interested in Cody. I told her about the lid incident and his reaction and I got brave and asked her if he was abused as a child and she did confirm that he was. She said he came to the facility at three and a half and was an absolute mess. She said he had come a very long way since then and that he really was a good kid. I told her that I wanted to visit him and be a friend or a mentor to him and that I had two boys that would probably enjoy getting to know him as well and asked if that was appropriate and she told me to stop by the facility; I would have to fill out some paper work then go through an orientation of sorts to see if I was appropriate to match with him. I told her I would swing by in the morning after I got off shift and she said that was fine.

So would begin the journey of getting to know a brave, sweet, shy child that needed a family and it would become my goal to provide him the family he needed.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After our young guests left, and after Captain Hafner made us available again, we talked about how much we enjoyed them and how well behaved they were. John said they were fascinated by the Jaws and Roy said some of the kids eyes got really big when it started to expand. We all agreed it was a great experience and that we wouldn't mind doing public relations like that about once a month. We could go to schools, children's floor at Rampart and Harbor General and places like that. Marco said he would talk to Cap (Stanley) about it when he got back and felt sure that Cap would enjoy it as much as we did.

Then I told them about Cody. I told them about the lid incident and they felt really bad for him because he was so scared. I took it one step further and told them that I asked Cody's companion if he was abused as a child and she confirmed that he was. John said "Aww man. I know what that's like" and we were solemnly reminded about John's awful childhood. I also told them what I wanted to do in being a mentor to him and though all were surprised, they thought it was a fantastic idea. Roy said being that Brett and Stevey were both at tender ages, it might be good exposure for them and they could also be a good friend to Cody. I told Roy that was on my agenda to involve them and Julie in whatever way I could because I wanted Cody to know he had friends that cared about him. Captain Hafner was taking all this in and he said "What happened to that shy guy about five hours ago?" and I blushed and he put his hand on my shoulder and said "Your intentions to give this disadvantaged child a happier life are noble Stoker. You remember that."

Chet then said "Hey Mike…why don't you just adopt him?" and I told Chet that thought had seriously crossed my mind but one step at a time! We had to get to know him first and him get to know us as well. But I felt confident there would be a time where I could bring it up to Julie about giving him a permanent home. That is, if she didn't bring it up first! Or the kids. I told Chet I could see Brett and Stevey really liking Cody and it taking off from there. But first things first. We had to get approved to be his friends. At least, I did initially then Julie, Brett and Stevey would follow if they were willing which I felt pretty confident they would be. I would have to find out when I went home that morning. I had a really good feeling about it because I knew Julie and I knew our boys well. I could honestly see them welcoming him into our lives. That was a peaceful thought.

That night, I went to bed thinking about Cody and what a great life I wanted to show him. I knew in my heart of hearts that Julie and Brett and Stevey were going to be part of that and what a wonderful feeling it would be to help him. I knew I was going to swing by the facility first thing after getting off shift. I finally drifted off to sleep.

That next morning, when B shift came in, I high-tailed it out of there and headed for the facility which was named New Horizons. It was an impressive place from the outside; it even had a school on the grounds. I also noticed a really nice playground. I parked my truck and headed inside and asked the receptionist if I could see Cody's companion and she paged her. His companion was named Sharon and she came to the reception area a few minutes later. We greeted each other warmly and the first thing she did was take me on a tour of the facility.

It was fairly new; only five years old. And it was huge! There were six different units to serve the very mild to the very severe. All of the units were very child to young adult friendly and I have to admit I was very impressed.

Sharon then took me through the therapy areas and they were well equipped. Sharon said favorite activities were the swimming pool, whirlpool and the swings.

Outside, they had a really nice playground and that was also a favorite activity. Staff loved taking the kids down the sliding board and the kids loved it especially those confined to wheelchairs. Sharon also said that they sometimes hook up sprinklers and honestly didn't know who were kids the most! I told her I thought it was wonderful that the children were so well cared for. She said the gentleman whose vision started the New Horizons Facility put in the by-laws and mission that the residents of the facility will be treated with dignity and respect. And that was very evident with everything I saw.

About thirty minutes later, she took me over to the school. Cody's class in particular. There was a class of about seven blind students. To my great surprise, their teacher was also blind. And why not have a teacher that has experienced life as a blind person? I told her those students could be seriously empowered by that and she agreed with me. Sharon said all seven students were high functioning like Cody and were all wards of the state.

After my tour, she took me to her office and closed the door. She offered me a cup of coffee and I sat down. She did too and told me that the Station 51 tour was a "smashing success" and the kids were so thrilled that they got to meet "real" firemen! I told her we really enjoyed having them, were very impressed with their behavior and manners and felt especially good that we were able to bring happiness into their lives.

She gave me quite a few forms to fill out. I was instructed to fill them out when I could give them my "full attention" because my answers to the questions would determine if I was appropriate to match Cody with me. I asked a few "what if" questions and she said to "relax" that more than likely everything would fall into place.

I told her I had a good deal of questions to ask about Cody. Sharon said she imagined I did and she could only answer "basic questions" until I had been "cleared" by the paper work. What she did tell me was that Cody was very bright, loved "furry" animals, was easy to get along with and she paused for a minute and said "And I wished he could find someone to give him a good, stable loving home because God knows he deserves it." She even wiped a tear away when she said it. I looked at her with a sincere, compassionate look and took a huge gamble and said "That very thought crossed my mind. If it all works out, that is my eventual goal. Truly."

Sharon was thrilled and she said she hoped it would all work out. I joined her in that hope.

To Be Continued

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I took the paper work with me and headed home. Brett and Stevey had already left for school. Julie was doing laundry. I gave her a kiss and she asked me if I had just come back from a rescue because I was so late and I told her no; there was something I wanted to do and I wanted to share it with her.

So I proceeded to tell her about Cody and what I wanted to do. She was greatly surprised, knowing how awkward I was around handicapped kids but she was very supportive. She thought it was "inspiring." She also reminded me that I needed to get some rest because I looked very tired, which by that time I was so she ushered me upstairs to bed. I hit the pillow and it didn't take me long to drift off to dream land.

Julie let me sleep until six that evening and woke me up for dinner. She made meatloaf which has been a favorite since we've been married. While we ate, I told Brett and Stevey about my adventures and asked them how they feel about being friends to Cody and both of them were highly receptive to the idea. I told them I had to do the paper work first then hope and pray they would accept me because I really believed we could make a real difference in his life. Julie and the boys agreed with me. After dinner and helping with the clean up, I went to the den and gave the papers my full attention. As I filled them out, some of the questions required major thought. About two and half hours later, I finished them. I gave them my best and most honest answers. As I put them in the envelope, I said a quick prayer and put the envelope in my truck to drop them off at New Horizons in the morning. Divine Intervention would decide if it was to be or not to be.

The next morning, I dropped the papers off at New Horizons and had many other things to do. Pick up dog food for our Great Dane Éclair and our Saint Bernard Cream Puff, mowed the lawn, weeded, washed my truck and even gave the dogs a bath! By that time, Julie was due home from work (she works part-time as an RN in a pediatric doctors office) and the boys were due home from school. They attend private school, main reason being the school reinforces the morals and values we are teaching the boys.

I had Cody on my mind the whole day and wondered when I'd hear from New Horizons. Julie and the kids got home about the same time and Julie was thrilled with all the chores I got done. I told her I wanted to go out for dinner and she loved that idea. So after the boys got their homework done, we headed for my favorite steakhouse. We all loved the stuff so there wasn't any problems with where we went. It was enjoyed by all.

After we left the steakhouse, we took a ride over to New Horizons and Julie and the boys got to see the facility from the outside, the playground and the school. Julie and the boys were impressed and Stevey said he was tempted to climb the fence so he could play on the playground. I told him he would have to be patient; that hopefully things would work out so that he could one day play on the playground with Cody.

I told Julie and the boys all I had seen with my tour and left there feeling it was a secure place for Cody to be in. Julie commented on how modern the place looked and I told her it was really nice inside. Stevey asked me if only blind children lived there and I told him no; other children lived there also. Stevey asked me why they lived there and I told him those children had lots of different handicaps and some were worse than others. I think he understood what I was telling him because he didn't say anything else.

Once we got home, we fed the dogs and got ready for bed. The boys did their nightly prayers and then headed off to bed. Julie and followed suit; I was really tired by that time and it would be a work day the next morning. It always felt like my days off flew by. Not that I minded working because I didn't. I love what I do and always will. Soon after, we both fell sound asleep.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A week later, New Horizons contacted me and asked me to come in for an interview. I was very happy and before going inside, I said a quick prayer, asking for guidance and the right words to say. Sharon conducted the interview and told me the only area they were concerned with was that I had no previous experience with handicapped children. I told her I was willing to learn "hands on" because I was so motivated to be a mentor to Cody. I promised if they gave me a chance, they wouldn't regret it.

She gave it some thought and said "I truly believe your sincerity. This may never happen again for Cody and I don't want to mess this up for him. I am more than willing to give you a chance Mr. Stoker because I believe you are motivated and for all the right reasons." I was so happy! Sharon told me that I was going to have to do a training and I was fine with that. She asked me if I had any questions and I told her I didn't want to appear "too eager" and she assured me I probably wouldn't so I got stupid and asked her how Cody ended up there and she told me the story. I couldn't believe it nor did I want to. The suffering that child went through was unspeakable and the epitome of heart wrenching.

Sharon told me Cody came to New Horizons at the age of three and a half as a ward of the state. Before that, he spent close to four months on the Pediatric Floor of Rampart Hospital and quickly became a favorite of the staff because he was there so long. He suffered horrific abuse and it took Rampart that long to get him back on his feet and stable. His so-called parents are now doing major prison time for which I was thankful and Cody was hit in the head so often his blindness is a result of that. Blunt force trauma. He came to Rampart almost dead and they were able to revive him and give him some stability. Doc Brackett testified at the trial that put his parents away and I knew he was probably involved somehow in protecting him. I had no doubt. Cody could talk a little bit but was basically scared to until he learned to trust the nurses that took care of him. They worked with him and little by little brought him out of his shell. Sharon said he still has issues; wets the bed every night and it took until almost six years old to potty train him. But through it all, they seen that he was not retarded and were able to break through the wall he had understandably built around himself. She said he's still very timid and only eats very little because they still hadn't been able to erase the tapes so to speak that tell him he can't have much food. He still fears getting in trouble if he eats more than he should. She said he's very loveable and mannerly. The nurses at the hospital taught him manners and she said they had a hard time when he was brought to New Horizons because they had gotten so attached to him. They visit him regularly and I was glad to hear that he had female figures in his life that cared about him.

Sharon paused and asked me if I wanted to go say hello to Cody and I told her I really did so we headed over to the school and Sharon spoke to his teacher and she was fine with it and Sharon led Cody out into the hallway and into a conference room where I was waiting for him. She told him I was there to see him and he said "To see me? How come?" and I said "Well I was just approved to be a friend to you Cody. Would you like that?" and he said "Yes Sir I would." I was so blown away by this sweet child and said "Well that's great but the first thing we have to do is to get you to call me Mike. You think you can do that?" and Cody said "I'm not supposed to call my elders by their first names." I answered "I can seriously appreciate that. I wasn't either when I was your age but I am asking you to do that. Is that OK?" and he answered with a simple, respectful "Yes Sir." Sharon told him that he and I were going to do fun things together and that I had two sons and a wife that also wanted to meet him and he thought that was really "cool." I told him when I wasn't working I'd be out to see him and spend time with him. He asked me if I could bring Henry with me and I told him I doubted it because Henry belonged to the Station and not me. But that I had two really big dogs that wouldn't mind spending time with him and he said "I'm afraid of big dogs" and I told him these big dogs were named Éclair and Cream Puff and that's exactly what they were. Big pussy cats.

Cody asked my why I even wanted to be his friend and I told him that I really enjoyed the time I spent with him at the station and that everyone deserves to have a friend and I wanted to be a really good friend to him and show him different things in life and how to have fun. He thought about it for a minute and said "Thank you Sir." I suspected it was going to be a long time before he'd call me Mike. But that was OK. In time.

Sharon took him back to the classroom and I walked with them and Cody said "If you get too busy I'll understand" and I put my hand on his shoulder and said "That is not going to happen Cody. That I can promise you. The only thing that would get in the way of us spending time together is if I get sick or have to be at a brush fire because sometimes with the brush fires I'm gone for a couple of days at a time OK? I want to be your friend. You'll see. I have to work tomorrow but the day after I'll come see you after dinner. How does that sound?" and he thought about it for a minute and said "Good. I'll show you were I live." I smiled and said "I'm looking forward to it."

Cody then went back into the classroom and I wiped a couple of tears that escaped. Sharon said "See this is the exact reason why I am so glad you have taken an interest in him. Just that short time of interacting with him, I can see that this is going to be so positive for him. It's probably going to change his life."

I nodded in agreement and said "That's exactly what I want to do. Change his life for the better. So starts the journey and I can't wait. He's such a sweet child."

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

My first visit with Cody was memorable to say the least. I swung by the station house and asked Captain Smith if I could "borrow" Henry for a little bit. He asked me why and I explained it to him in a nutshell and he gave me the OK to take Henry for a few hours.

I was excited when I pulled up in the parking lot at New Horizons. Cody was not expecting Henry to be with me so that would be a surprise for him. I put Henry on his leash and let him relieve himself before I took him inside.

I went in an open side door and was promptly greeted by one of the nurses. She asked me who I was and I introduced myself and Henry as Cody's Mentor and she immediately let her guard down. She took me to Cody's unit and along the way Henry got a lot of attention which he loved.

Cody was sitting on a couch in quiet thought when I approached him. I said "Hello Cody" and he said "Hello Sir." I asked him if I could sit down next to him and he was fine with it. I asked him how he was doing and he said he was fine.

I told him I brought a surprise for him and his face brightened up and said "Really Sir? For me? " and I said "Yes. For you." I picked Henry up and put him in between us and then took Cody's hand gently and said "Henry's here to say hello to you." Cody's face lit up in a huge smile and Henry gave him puppy kisses. They were so much fun to watch together. Cody asked me if he could give him a treat and I told him I had a few Milk Bones in my pocket and I gave them to Cody and Henry of course loved them.

Cody then took the initiative to show me around and I was impressed with how well he maneuvered with his cane. He took me to his room, which he shared with another boy who he called his "pal." It was very child friendly and he had quite a few of what I assumed were good papers taped above his bed. I asked him if that's what they were and he confirmed it. I told him I was impressed and I truly was. He asked me if I ever got to sleep with Henry and I told him every now and then and he thought I was "lucky." I told him I wasn't sure about that and I had to laugh. I let him lead every aspect of the conversation and visit.

He sat down on his bed and I picked Henry up and put him on Cody's bed next to him and Cody motioned for me to sit on the bed with him which I did. Henry just seemed to be quite a security blanket for him.

After a brief silent period Cody said "How come you want to be my friend?" and I said "Because I think everyone deserves to have a friend. I admire your inner courage young fella. And besides that, I think you have a lot to offer." I gave him time to digest that. I could tell he was thinking about it as he played with Henry's ear.

He spoke again and said "What's it like to have a real family?" and I said "I love being a husband and a father." I didn't want to say anything to hurt his feelings so I left it at that. Then he asked "Do you think you'll have any more kids?" and I said "I hope to someday." I didn't want to tell him my eventual goal to adopt him for two reasons at that point. I didn't want to scare him away from me and if things God forbid didn't work out, I didn't want to break his heart. "Even so, that won't get in the way of our being friends" I assured him. I could tell he was filled with doubts and perhaps fear that I wouldn't be the friend he hoped for. All I could do was continue to encourage him.

He wanted to take me out to the playground and the nurses allowed him to do that. He said "It's pretty big and I love it out here." I asked him what his favorite activity was and he said without hesitation "the swings." He sat down in one and started picking up some pretty good speed in one and I told him to just be careful. He knew how make the thing fly, that's for sure. I was eyeing the sliding board and thought I'd take my first gamble and ask him about it. Once he came back down to earth on the swing I said "You ever been on that sliding board?" and he said "Oh no. I'm scared to death of it." This I figured and I wanted to figure out a way that he wouldn't be. I said "Well I was going to take a ride down it. Would you like to sit in my lap and go down with me? That way you don't have to worry about falling out or down. I'll have my arms around you and you'll be sitting securely in my lap." He took three steps back and said "No! I'm scared of the sliding board." I assured him that was OK and maybe someday he wouldn't be so scared of it.

He found Henry and sat down next to him and Henry had a real way of calming him down. I was almost feeling bad that I had to take Henry back and thought when I got home I was going to ask Julie if we could get a Bassett Hound for Cody. Soon, it was time for Cody to get a bath and ready for bed. We all went back inside and he said "Can't Henry please stay here and sleep with me tonight?" and I said "No he can't because he doesn't live here and there's no dog food here for him." He seemed to accept it OK. He gave Henry a big hug before we left and Henry responded with an abundance of puppy kisses all over his face and hands which put him in a pretty good mood. I told Cody I enjoyed the time I spent with him and that I would be back in a couple of days. He thanked me for coming and spending time with him. I bid him a fond goodnight and Henry and I were on our way back to the station.

I had my work cut out for me for sure but somehow I was going to make this child feel so worth something and work through his fears so that he could live without being in fear. Tough order but I was up to it. I welcomed it. I seen so much potential in him it was unbelievable.

To Be Continued


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Two months later, I seen Cody grow a great deal in learning to trust me. I was there to see him every time I said I would be except one and that was because of a brush fire. Sharon explained it to him and he was OK with it and hoped that I would be OK. It was a real special time to watch him grow and trust me and I felt at that time we had about three quarters bonded. He was a lot more chatty with me, more like a typical seven year old which really pleased me.

We had arranged for Cody to come home with us on a Saturday because he still hadn't yet met the boys or Julie and we reserved a Saturday just for him and it was planned extra special. I went to get him at New Horizons and he was excited because he knew he was going to meet Brett and Stevey and I told him they looked forward to meeting him too.

What I didn't tell him was that our family got together and decided on buying a Bassett Hound puppy for him. Simply because we knew how attached he was to Henry and we couldn't give him Henry so we thought we'd settle for the next best thing. A baby Henry so to speak.

Once we got there, I pulled up in the driveway and led Cody in the house. Cream Puff and Éclair were in the rec room in the basement because I knew they would scare him to death so we took care of that ahead of time. We went into the kitchen where Brett, Stevey and Julie were sitting and I did the introductions. Immediately, the boys wanted to go outside and play with him and he said "But I can't see what you're doing" and Brett said "Don't worry about that. We'll tell you what we're doing so that you can feel included too." Julie and I were so proud of him for being so compassionate. So before we introduced the puppy, we let the boys play and they blended together like mustard and ketchup! They wanted Cody to "see" their tree house and he said he was too scared to climb up that high. Brett said "Tell you what. I'll take the first step up and you wrap your arms around me. Then Stevey can stay underneath you in case you slip or anything. That way you won't get hurt. It's really not all that high" and I said "Well to someone who can see, it isn't but you have to remember Cody cannot see how high it is and he's trusting you to lead him right."

Cody asked them how high the tree was and Brett said "About twenty steps up" and Cody said "Why would I want to go clear up there?" and Brett said "Mom always has goodies up there for us. We'll be glad to share them with you. Come on Cody. I promise you won't regret this. Stevey and I won't let anything bad happen to you. We want you to be a member of our tree house club. Right Stevey?" and Stevey then said "Yeah buddy!" Cody thought about it for a little bit and said "OK I'll try. But you won't call me names if I'm too scared will you?" and Brett said "No we won't. That's not nice to do that to someone who is afraid. I wouldn't want anyone doing it to me." And Stevey added "Me either." So Brett took the first step up and cued Cody to do the same. "Take your time. You can feel that it's a fairly long step. What you can do is feel above and there's one just like it. You can hang onto that if you want to and if it will make it easier for you." So Cody did just that. One step at a time they made it to the top, all three of them and we were cheering and hooping and hollering down at ground level! We were so proud of all three of them, especially Cody. He took a chance and found out the boys wouldn't let him get hurt. And true to what they said, Julie had special treats up there for them. I walked up the ladder and said "Cody I am so proud of you! You did it!" He smiled and said "Man that was a long way up here." Brett said "I know that blind folks eat a certain way. How can we help to make sure it's easy for you?" and Cody said "On the plate, you have to put food by the clock. At 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Brett said "Makes good sense to me. Sandwich at 6, chips at 12 and drink at 3 o'clock. Is that OK?" and Cody said "Yes, that's fine. Thank you." Brett added "If there's anything else we can do to help just let us know OK?" and Cody said "Thank you." They spent quite a while up there and I hollered up to the tree "Hey Musketeers…we have a special surprise for Cody. Can you bring him down to get it?" and Brett said "KMG365 we are responding." I had to smile when he said that. Cody was really afraid to come down but once the boys explained to him it was like coming up only in reverse, he settled down and took a while to come down but no one hurried him or anything like that. We wanted him to feel nothing but confidence scaling that tree house.

Once they got down to the ground, Stevey said "Oh Cody, you're going to love what we're all going to give you" and Cody said "Really? Any hints?" and Brett said "Nope. You'll have to wait a few minutes. Dad wants you to sit down here so that he can bring your surprise to you." Cody said "I bet it's Henry. Cool!" and smiled wide and I walked up to him and handed him the Bassett Hound puppy and said "It's not Henry but it's a smaller Henry. It's a puppy Cody and as much as you love Henry, I wanted to have a dog like him here for you." "But why?" Cody asked, confused and I said "Because you are pretty scared of our big dogs. But you aren't afraid of a Henry sized dog. So being that you and Henry are such good pals, we thought getting you a baby Henry would be really nice." Stevey then asked him "What are you going to name him Cody?" and Cody paused and said "Henry Stewart if that's OK with you" and Julie said "It's fantastic with us." It didn't take long and Cody and Henry Stewart bonded and Cody carried him around and held him like he was his baby the whole visit with us. We had other fun things planned but at that point I decided to allow Cody to dictate the pace and what we would do and he was just simply satisfied with Henry Stewart in his lap.

I did a cookout with lots of good meats and Julie threw some great veggies together for them and we called the kids to the dinner table and we got to experience first-hand how very little Cody will actually eat. No amount of promising him that it was OK to eat more or promising him there would be no trouble if he did eat more could get him to do that. Just a few bird sized bites off of the meat and veggies and he said he was full. I suspect that is why he had a tube in his stomach. For the vitamins and minerals he really does need to keep going. It broke our hearts to see how scared he was of eating and that was something I was going to work on from here on out. I would ask Sharon how I could get involved in helping him accomplishing eating without fear. It wouldn't be easy.

When it was time to take Cody back, we told him that Henry would stay with us and that we'd take great care of him until the next time he could see him. I told him when I came to visit that I would bring him every time and I made that a promise. He wanted to show the nurses what he got and when I took him back to New Horizons they were just oooing and aaaahhhhing over the puppy. He did tell them it was his and they didn't believe him at first but once I said goodbye to him and gave him a hug (which he was accepting by then) when I got out of his earshot I did explain to the nurses that Henry Stewart was his dog. We were going to take good care of it and make sure he got lots of time to interact with him. They were very pleased. And thought it was the act of such caring people. I told them it didn't take much for me to decide he needed one after the way he bonded with our Henry.

I left New Horizons feeling tired from the exciting day but happy. Cody sure was happy because he now knows this dog is his. And will be forever more. Especially when he comes to live with us permanently. What a great day that will be!

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

About 3 months later, things were starting to get serious with Cody. Our family had really grown to love and respect this gentle, quiet soul. He and the boys bonded like glue and it became customary for them to always include him in whatever they were doing when he was at our home. They would describe what they were doing and find a way to include him in what they were doing. I should note that at this point, he pretty much got over his fear of the big dogs. Cream Puff and Éclair really did love him and they accepted Henry Stewart as one of their own. We taught Cream Puff and Éclair that they couldn't interact with Cody unless he was sitting down because they had the potential of knocking him down because they were so big and clumsy. They would never do it on purpose though.

The New Horizons staff got to know our family and they marveled at the transformation Cody was taking the more time he spent with us. He got to spend entire weekends with us and I will not forget the first weekend he spent. He was so ashamed of his bed wetting and Bret and Stevey were so comforting. Stevey told him not to worry about it; they wouldn't make fun of him or be mean to him because of it. Julie assured him she fixed the bed up so that if he did wet it, nothing would be damaged. All she would have to do is throw the bedding into the washer which was no big deal. I told him that I too was a bed wetter until I was about nine and he couldn't believe it. He asked if I got in trouble and I told him I had great parents and they knew I'd grow out of it just like I knew he would grow out of his. So nothing more was made of it. When he grew out of it, he grew out of it.

He also trusted me enough to take a trip down a very long sliding board at a swimming pool of all places. He said he loved pools and being in the water and I told him this sliding board was something Bret and Stevey loved to do and we really wanted him to do it with us. I didn't force him. I described it and told him it would be nothing but fun and he could sit in my lap and hang onto me the whole way down. He agreed to do it and Julie took some pictures and even at first he was probably terrified, when we got down to the bottom and hit the water, he came up and said "Oh wow! Can we do that again?" and my heart just was overloaded with joy. So he had me on the slide most of the day and many pictures were taken and it was a trip to the water park we won't soon forget. The boys were cheering him all along! And the last slide of the evening, he went down with Bret on his lap. It was amazing to see how much trust had been built in just a short time.

We allowed Henry Stewart to sleep with Cody when he stayed with us. They bonded in a special way and they are going to be the best of friends if they aren't already. We have taught Cody how to feed him, how to give him water and where his treats are. He is adjusting very well. We couldn't have been more happy.

Until…Vince Howard came by the house to give us some news that we didn't think we would EVER have to worry about.

To Be Continued


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Vince came to see Julie and me and he did not have good news. Julie and I were three quarters of the way through our Foster Parent training and Cody had no idea yet that we were aiming to bring him home with us. We didn't want to say anything until we knew for sure he was going to be able to stay with us. So we were at least relieved on that front. But the news Vince brought us was disturbing to say the least.

It seems the sperm donor and the female dog who bore Cody were coming up for parole. And to take it one step further and make matters worse, they wanted to regain custody of Cody! Julie and I were rocked to the core with this news! I asked Vince what we could do to prevent it and he said he had an idea. He knew that letters could be sent to the parole board to ask them to rescind the parole so he was going to write one and he was also going to ask Dr. Brackett to do the same.

Simply because he was there the day Cody came into the Emergency Room at age three, clinging to life by a thread. Vince also felt that the good doctor had more clout than he did and he was fine with it because if it ended up keeping the young boy safe, that was all that mattered to him.

I asked him if there was anything we could do and he said no but added when we interacted with Cody "it's business as usual." He also advised the facility the same way. I told Vince that Brett and Stevey were going to be devastated when we told them and Vince asked us not to tell them.

Julie asked him what his line of reasoning was and he simply told her that this was a matter "for the adults only." And that we needed to be "business as usual" with the boys as well. Tall order indeed but we would capitulate because we were asked by Vince because we knew he'd do everything he could to keep Cody safe.

So after Vince left, Julie broke down and started to cry. I assured her that would be alright. We had Vince and Brackett behind us and I felt sure they were our guaranteed aces in the hole. I also reminded her it was in God's Hands and that was the best place to be.

I held her for a bit then we had a short prayer and we both felt better. Later on that day, we all went to see Cody with Henry Stewart in tow. He was glad to see us and Henry as we were him. He wanted to play outside on the playground with the boys and his dog and the boys were fine with it.

As we were watching the four of them playing and having a blast with each other we couldn't help but wonder if those happy days were numbered. We knew better to dwell on it but we just couldn't help it.

Cody had come so far. We were so proud of him and the chances he took to become a whole and new person. Of course, Brett and Stevey deserve a great deal of credit too for they made him "a part of" since day one, giving him one hundred percent acceptance. Surely the Good Lord would not allow this to be for naught.

That was our prayer; we would hold on and hope for the best. After we got home later that evening, the phone rang and it was Doc Brackett and he was roaring mad! He told me not to even give it a second thought; "those animals" would not be paroled much less regain custody.

He said that would only happen "over his dead body." He said he kept the pictures and that documentation "for an occasion such as this." So he told me to tell Julie that we should "rest easy" because he "was behind the wheel" so to speak.

I told him we didn't want anyone else but him behind the wheel because we trusted him completely to do the right thing. Just before we hung up, he'd keep us updated on the proceedings. I thanked him for being in our corner and he said he was happy to help.

So that gave me some renewed hope that things just might be alright after all. We knew what the good doctor was like when he knew he was in the right. He will stop at nothing until justice is served. He is like a relentless "Pit Bull" as Cap likes to call him. And I don't mean to go off topic but I have to pause and smile when I think about Cap and Doc Brackett's rather complex "love-hate, respect the hell out of each other" relationship. I think it's because they are both alike in so many ways. They can both be quite comical when they are butting heads.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I told Julie about the conversation I had with Doc Brackett and it gave her renewed hope as well. After we did prayers with the boys, Stevey asked if anything was wrong. I looked at Julie and Julie looked at me. Oh man, we both wanted to tell them the truth but we just couldn't do it. So I told them it wasn't anything big to worry about. So we tucked them in and headed for our bedroom.

We gently closed the door and both expressed our regret at not being able to tell the boys the truth. But we knew we had no choice at this point in time. We both fell asleep with very heavy hearts.

Meanwhile, the next morning, after the boys left for school and Julie left for work, I headed for the facility. I wanted to talk to Sharon and thankfully she had time. She expressed her fears as well. We talked for a good hour.

She told me they have a Resident Advocate (equivalent to an attorney) on the case now and she is working very hard on it and is going through documentation when he first got there and up to now and is going to show how long it took him to come out of his shell, etc.

I told her I could write some stuff up and she told me not to because we're not officially his foster parents yet and if his jail bird parents were to come into the courtroom they didn't want them us or threaten us. I guess it made sense but we really wanted to be there and we were told no.

I thanked Sharon for the time she took for me and then I headed over to Rampart. Knowing Brackett's mood, he was probably still growling about it all. Dixie said he was in his office and was indeed in a "growling" bad mood. I told her I'd take my chances. And that's what I did.

I knocked on his door and he did say to come in. I greeted him and said "Doc? Is this a bad time? I can come back." He thought about it for a minute and said "No, I'm just going through all the records of Cody's 3 month visit here. I am having to go through them carefully to pick the worst ones out. Because we have a good many of them."

I thanked him once again for what he was doing for us and he said "Not at all. I will not allow this fragile child go back to an environment where he could be killed. He almost was the first time he was there!" I sadly nodded my head in response.

Would we be able to find what we needed? Lord I hoped so. Time would tell. And keeping all this from Cody and my boys would become harder and harder as time went along.

To Be Continued


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After I left Doc Brackett's office, I headed back home. I had chores to do so I went ahead and got those done all the while with Cody on my mind. I was a cross between scared to death and confident that justice would be served in the end.

While I was doing some much needed painting, Vince stopped by to give me an update. He wanted to tell me that the parole hearing was scheduled a week from today. I told him it made me want to vomit. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and told me to keep the faith. I thanked him for all he was doing.

I want to say a few words about Vince. The brotherhood (firefighters) has always treated him like one of us. He's a good man and he's helped us in many a situation where we wouldn't have known what to do without him. He's always there, offering a helping hand, which we have accepted many a time. We often consider him the seventh man on the crew. We think the world of him.

I went back to my painting after Vince left and found tears of anger falling from my eyes. I just couldn't fathom why on earth those animals would be even remotely considered for parole. The logic in it escaped me completely.

About the time I got done painting, Julie and the boys were due home. So I got stuff cleaned up by the time they got home. Julie was really happy with the paint job. She asked me if I wanted to bring Cody home for dinner and I happily agreed to do so. The boys went with me to pick up Cody.

As always, we were glad to see each other. Cody had gotten to the point where he hugged me every time I came in and greeted him. It was such a wonderful feeling. I gently returned my hugs at first but got to the point that I give him loving, sincere hugs. And I know that makes him feel good.

One of the nurses wanted to speak with me in private so while the boys messed around in Cody's room, I went to the office with her. She closed the door and offered me a cup of coffee, which I declined because I knew I was going to be eating soon.

Her name was Shannon and she told me the entire facility staff were "shook up good" over the news about Cody's so-called parents. She said the entire staff have been so pleased with his progress since our family started taking him under our wings. She said it has been "a beautiful thing to behold."

I told her our family have been so happy to be a part of helping make Cody's life better. And we hoped and prayed like literal crazy it would remain that way. The thought of him being taken away was a thought that brought great sadness to Julie and I. I told her we truly wanted to adopt Cody but we haven't said anything to Cody because we haven't been certified yet.

Shannon said we had their complete support and I expressed our gratitude. She said they weren't going to tell Cody anything unless they absolutely had to. I told her we weren't either and our boys didn't know either but it was getting more and more hard to keep it from them because they know something is wrong.

Shannon said Cody talks a lot about our family; he calls Brett and Stevey "his brothers" and Henry Stewart "his dog" and I told her Henry was his dog; he just couldn't keep it here. I think Brett and Stevey would be touched if they knew he thought that much of them. Incredible.

She also said he calls Julie and I "Mom and Dad." Now that took me back some because he's still really aloof around Julie at times. I made the observation that I thought Julie must be slowly breaking through the wall. I told her not to discourage him from thinking that way because if we have our way, he will indeed have a mother, father, two brothers, a dog and a real house he call his own.

Shannon said it was just all so amazing because they would have never dreamed Cody would ever come that far out of his shell. They are amazed on a daily basis by the things he says and does. And I just had to grin and wipe a few tears that fell out of my eyes. I told her I better get going; Julie's probably going to have dinner on the table soon. Once again I gave our gratitude.

As I walked back to Cody's room, I had to pull myself together. And I had to be upbeat and positive. That wasn't the easiest thing to do. But I did it, gathered the boys and we headed home. The first thing Cody asked for was of course Henry Stewart. And we brought him to him. They were so good with each other. It was so fun to watch them together. Much like Cody and adult Henry.

The boys wanted to play ball and Cody just wanted to be with the puppy. Stevey asked him why he didn't want to play with them and Cody said "I will but let me have fun with Henry Stewart first OK?" and the boys were fine with it. They stayed with him and they had fun with the puppy too.

While that was going on, I told Julie about the conversation I had with Shannon. She was pleased that we had their support and that they thought so highly of us. I told her that we had seen much of the amazing things that he's done too. And Cody deserves some of that credit because he was brave enough to do it.

The boys asked us to join them under the tree on the swinging bench and we did. Cody wanted to talk to us. We gave him all the time he needed because he wanted to say something to us. We tried to read it on his face but we didn't get very far. His flitting and rolling eyes sort of took our attention off of his face.

Once he got comfortable enough, he then popped the question. "Brett and Stevey if I asked you something would answer me?" and they said "Sure." "OK here goes. Would you…would you…would you be…be…my brothers?" and just as I had figured, they were hit with a wave of emotion. Brett spoke first and said "We would be honored Cody." And then Stevey said "We sure would be." I had never seen such a happy smile on Cody's face as I did that moment. Julie and I embraced each other.

I spoke up and said "Wow Cody you have come a long way since you first came here. I can't tell you how proud Julie and I are of you. Our hearts are so filled with joy right now. I told you if you gave us a chance you would see that you were worthy of having friends in your life didn't I?"

Cody answered with a "Yes Sir, you did. Thank you for everything you and your whole family have done for me. I never thought I'd find brothers that love me." Brett jumped in and said "Look no further. Stevey and I dig you a lot. And we're so glad you are in our lives. We really are."

There were a few minutes of silence but it was the kind of silence that nothing needed to be said. It was a beautiful moment that none of us would ever forget. And it made the upcoming parole hearing that much harder to deal with.

I said a silent prayer that went something like this: *Lord Jesus, you allowed Cody to trust us and bond with us in a very special, beautiful way. Please don't take it from him or us. We love him so much. Our boys love him. He loves his "brothers." It's in Your Hands Lord but please don't let him be taken away from us. Thank You God. Amen.*

To Be Continued


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A week later, the big day arrived. I took that day off and everyone at the Station said they would be praying that justice would be served. Cap told me I need not worry because the "Head Pit Bull" (Brackett) was in our corner.

Julie and I got up a bit earlier that day and together we read a few passages of Scriptures and had a time of prayer that really helped our nerves. It was very hard to be "business as usual" around the boys but somehow we managed. After they left for school, the waiting and wondering game had begun. Julie and I got busy around the house never straying far from the phone.

I decided to do some more painting this time on the inside of the house. We stayed busy but we never took our minds off of the hearing. We were so thankful that Cody and the boys knew nothing about this. The less they knew, the better.

Finally at 1:30 pm, Vince drove up and rang the doorbell. We let him in and offered him a cup of coffee which he accepted. We sat around the kitchen table and anxiously awaited the verdict.

He said the emotions ran high to say the least. Cody's so-called parents had been through parenting classes at the prison. He said they showed "genuine remorse" for what they put Cody through. According to prison records, they were "model inmates" once they "got their act together." This scared Julie and me to death but we didn't allow that to get in the way of Vince's commentary.

He said the lawyer representing them was "pretty cagey" in trying to convince the board in giving them a second chance. At that point our hearts went to our throats. Vince continued saying when it was our sides turn, things started getting ugly and rightfully so.

Doc Brackett was called to show why parole should have been denied and true to his word, Kel dug up some pretty damming evidence. He gave them many pictures and documents on Cody's near death condition at age three. He answered many questions that were all backed up with facts and documentation.

Vince said it was very clear he (Doc Brackett) was on a mission and would see it through to the end. The New Horizons Resident Advocate also had a turn to try and sway the parole board to keep those animals in prison where they belonged.

The parole board took a half hour recess and came back with their decision. He said it was a tense moment because he really had no idea which way it was going to go. Kel told him during recess that if he was a smoker, he would have smoked a whole pack in thirty minutes time!

When the parole board came back out, Vince said they had a rather odd question for Doc Brackett. They said their decision would ride heavily upon his answer. They asked him what propelled him to take pictures of Cody's abuse and he told them the same thing he told me. "For an occasion such as this."

The board members all paused and looked at each other for a moment. Then they announced their decision. They said it was a two part decision. To put it in a nutshell, in most cases, the law wants a child reunited with their biological parents. However, in some cases, it is just not practical or safe for that matter and this was clearly one of those cases.

Their rights as custodial parents were permanently revoked! And they were given ten more years of prison time! We won the fight! I jumped up and scooped Julie up and danced with her while tears of absolute joy fell freely from my eyes! We expressed how sincerely appreciative we were of all Vince did to help our cause. He said he was happy to help us especially with outcomes like this. He said "It makes it all worthwhile."

Once Vince left, I had to call Cap and give him the good news and he said they were all going to be jubilant to hear the news. He was thrilled and gave us his warmest congratulations. I told him Julie and I were on cloud nine. He said we had a right to be there.

Then after talking to Cap, I had to call Doc Brackett. He said he really didn't do all that much. He just had the right information at the right time. I told him we owe him the greatest debt of thanks for all he did. He said his thanks is going to come when we officially adopt Cody. And I told him he could depend on it.

We waited for the boys to come home because Julie and I both wanted to thank New Horizons for their help too. We were so happy. We were so relieved. It was all over and we won the fight.

Thank God for answering our prayers.

To Be Continued


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

About a month later, Julie and I got our certifications to be foster parents and we were thrilled! With the support and help of New Horizons, a very compassionate judge and Children's Services, they approved us to be Cody's foster parents because we made our intentions clear to them that we wanted to adopt him.

So after school about a week after everything was set, we went to New Horizons to tell Cody the great news. Problem was he did not want to leave New Horizons which caught me off-guard. Now then, here was another test of patience and time. He told us he wanted time to think it over and we told him he could take all the time he needed.

During the time Cody was "thinking it over," he slowly started to withdrawal from us which deeply concerned us. At one point, the only thing Cody was interested in was interacting with Henry Stewart which we always allowed. Henry somewhat kept the lines of communication open with Cody. He said very little to us.

Sharon told us that this development more or less blind-sided her as well because he expressed the desire so often to come live with us. She said she felt confident if we hung in there and gave him time, he'd come around. We were so hoping she was right.

One evening at dinner, the boys said they were "just crushed" that Cody didn't want to live with us. I told them not to give up and that we needed to be accepting and patient with him no matter how long it took. They said they would do their best.

One month turned to two months and two months turned to three. And the whole Stoker Family got sadder and sadder and it was harder and harder to hold onto any semblance of hope.

We started to talk amongst ourselves and wondered out loud what the purpose of all this was. A test? We wondered. Cody knew how much we cared for him. He knew we really wanted him to be a part of our family. He knew we accepted him completely.

We had to get to the bottom of this. And that is exactly what I set out to do albeit very carefully and as non-threatening to him as humanly possible.

To Be Continued


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I spent about a week or so planning an intervention that we prayed to God would work. Sharon worked with us on this because she knew Cody best and it just made sense.

So, one evening after Cody had his dinner, Sharon brought Cody to the Recreational Therapy Room where the whole family warmly greeted and a Bassett Hound puppy were waiting on him. We greeted him warmly and the first thing out of the gate he asked for was Henry Stewart and I gave him the leash.

Sharon explained to Cody that we wanted to have a talk with him and we wanted to know how he felt about some things. He did OK it but his voice was very unsure. He was hanging on to Henry for dear life at that point.

Sharon gently took his hand and asked him why he didn't want to live in a real house with real parents and real brothers. Before he answered it, I assured him he could tell us how he felt without being afraid. We just honestly wanted to know how he felt. We couldn't work it out if we didn't know what troubling him.

He said "I don't want to leave my friends." I told him I could totally understand that but we had no intention of keeping him from his friends because we knew how much they meant to him. We weren't going to take him out of his school because he was doing so well there.

And I promised to bring him to visit anytime he wanted to. He perked up a little and said "Honest?" and I said "Cross my heart."

Julie then spoke up and asked if anything else was bothering him and he said softly and shamefully "I wet the bed. Remember?" and Julie assured him that wasn't a problem because recently plastic pants were made for children in particular that were bedwetters. He could just wear those under his PJ's at night. Problem solved.

Then he asked "What if I'm bad?" and I told him we would never hurt him. Bret jumped in at that point and said "No, you won't get hurt. Mom and Dad will either ground you, send you to bed early, take one of your favorite toys away, stuff like that. Nothing real major but enough to get their point across."

Then came the question "What if I make a mistake?" I answered that one. I told him it wasn't going to be the end of the world because he was only seven years old and of course he was going to make mistakes. I told him we would guide him and teach him, just like we do Bret and Stevey. We wanted nothing to do with violence against children.

I told him all we wanted to do was take him home, enjoy him, love him and give him the family he deserved. Stevey told him he couldn't wait to share his room with him. And he meant it too.

We all gave him the time to process everything and think things over. We were all sitting on (literal) pins and needles when I saw tears streaming down his sweet face. Julie said to him so tenderly and sweetly as she took him in her arms (without a struggle) and asked him what was wrong.

He couldn't answer her; he cried harder. She rocked him gently and told him it was all going to be alright in the end. We were so thankful he was letting go of his pent up emotions. Sharon was pretty well choked up over it. He cried and cried for a good twenty minutes anyway with Julie soothing him the whole time.

She poured her sweet love and compassion out on him and at that moment a barrier had been broken. Cody went "looking" for Julie's face and once he found it, he gave her a most precious kiss on the cheek and hugged her. Julie gently returned it and said "Thank you for honoring me this way. This is a true honor." Then, after a few minutes later he said "Mom?" and she hugged him and said "I sure would like to be your mother. Won't you give me that chance?"

We tried to tip toe with him because we knew he was extremely vulnerable and God knows we didn't want to take knowing advantage of him. We didn't want to sway him rather we wanted this to be his choice and his choice alone.

After quite some time, he turned his head toward Julie and said "Yes" so sweetly. What a moment! The boys couldn't contain their excitement; they said a very joyful "Yes!" and gave each other a high five. It was a definite turning point and as far as the adults were concerned, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

This is something we never forgot. It was a moment in time that brought us together and it was breathtaking to say the least.

Two weeks later, Cody came to live with us. The first couple of weeks were pretty shaky but we weathered the problems really well.

We had to put braille labels on the walls beside the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs as well as on all the spigots, on Henry's bowls, his food bag and treat box and as and where needed. It assisted tremendously with giving Cody some degree of independence.

The worst "catastrophe" (if you will) that happened was the first week Cody was with us. He ran into some shelves that his cane didn't quite find in time and as a result of that, one of our favorite wedding gifts got "smashed to smithereens." He was terrified and kept repeating over and over how sorry he was and that he didn't mean it and started to cry because he was so terrified.

Julie went to him immediately and soothed him and established communication with him through his fear and she assured him we knew it was an accident and they would happen from time to time not to be afraid.

She also told him we knew he hadn't figured out the layout of the house yet and we would just have to move those shelves to make it easier for him to get around.

Later that evening, just before Julie and I called it a night, a knock came on our bedroom door. I answered it and it was Bret. He told us that he and Stevey both were really happy that we handled Cody the way we did. I told Bret building trust and a sense of well being with Cody was very important to us and he agreed.

After Bret left our room, Julie and I quietly lamented the loss of our favorite wedding gift. But we didn't dwell on it. We said what we had to say and kissed each other goodnight.

But before we did, we decided that Cody was far more important than a material possession.

To Be Continued


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Well it's been three years since Cody came to live with us. We've really enjoyed him being a part of our family. He is now ten years old and I wanted to give a very nice update.

The first year Cody spent with us he was a foster child. The last two years he's been a Stoker. We've seen a tremendous transformation take place and it's been neat to watch. I can happily say that he is now a typical ten year old boy.

Shortly after Cody became a Stoker, he changed Henry's name from Stewart to Stoker. It was an endearing moment. We even made a certificate for the occasion. They sleep together every night and Cody loves that dog with all his heart and takes great care of him.

Cody, Bret and Stevey are very close. They always include him in what they are doing. They have a great relationship overall. Stevey still shares his room with Cody. Cody could have his own room but he and Stevey want to be roommates so that's fine with us.

We've seen Cody make some tremendous strides and I'm very happy to say six months after Cody came to live with us, the bedwetting ceased completely. We pretty much ignored it and didn't make a big fuss over it. And we think that was just what he needed. We promised him we wouldn't make a big deal out of it and we didn't. We were so pleased that in such a short time he felt so secure with us.

Cody continues to do fantastic in school. He loves the fact that he can still go to the same school. The bus picks him up and brings him home every day. What he doesn't know is that we now have to pay tuition which we are happy to do. We've been to several parent-teacher conferences and they all have been very positive praising Cody and our family for how he's come.

The boys love watching him do his homework in Braille. I do too and have to admit I am fascinated by the dots and what they represent. He's very fluent in his "language". Bret and Stevey would like to learn it but they'd never use it so no need to do that. Stevey likes to call it "Morse Code" and Cody always laughs and says "Well you could look at that way."

He still loves to visit New Horizons and keep in touch with his friends and Staff. He'll usually ask about twice a month to visit and we always take him. Sharon has told us she's been "blown away" by his progress. She said every time she sees him she thanks God for Julie and me and the boys. She said she wanted this for Cody for "so very long."

One of the things Cody struggled with the most was his eating habits. It took us a good two years to convince him he could eat more than a bird. It was heartbreaking to watch him eat about ten bites of one thing and say he was full when we knew dam well he wasn't.

With help from New Horizons, we put him on a Behavior Modification Program which stated that each day, Cody had to add one more bite of food from the previous day, then the previous meal. It was a long, tough journey to get him to understand that no harm would come to him if he ate a whole meal.

So we had to keep the nourishment going via the stomach tube, which oddly enough he was always OK with. It was a tremendous success when we finally got him on the right path and eating like a normal human being. God we worked so hard on that.

We were especially overjoyed when the tube came out! Julie made him a chocolate cake with "Yeah Cody! You Did It!" put on it just for him. These days, he eats and he eats good and we are so pleased that he does.

Cody loves going to church. He's in Stevey's class because they are the same age and he's made a lot of friends there. When he first started going to church, it was suggested to put him in the Handicapped Class and I shot that down immediately! We sent him to the same class as Stevey was in and his teacher accepted him right out of the gate and so did everyone else once they got to know him.

Like I previously mentioned, Cody and the boys have a great relationship. But there is one story I have to tell. This happened about six months ago, give or take. Cody is now ten and Bret is thirteen. One day, Cody wondered into Bret's room without permission. Bret politely reminded him of that and Cody uncharacteristically took exception to it, told Bret to "shut up!" and proceeded to crack Bret with his cane! Right over Bret's head to be exact.

Bret gave him a shove and Cody's head hit the corner of the nightstand as he went down. So both boys had knots in their heads! Both boys were disciplined, Bret easier than Cody because Cody did in fact start it. Plus using his cane as a lethal weapon. We had to cut that off at the pass and fast!

So, we grounded Bret for a week and took away his softball games and took Henry Stoker away (literally) for three weeks from Cody. Henry Stoker stayed with Henry Station 51 those three weeks and he was spoiled something terrible the whole time he lived there! Both Henrys got along well.

All three shifts just loved him and they hated to see him leave after the three weeks were up. But we got the message through and Cody was so afraid he'd never see Henry Stoker again. Julie and I knew he would but we didn't want to tell him that exactly.

At the end of the three week stint, Cody came home from school and we told him Henry was back but under two conditions. The first one was to sincerely apologize to Bret for his disgusting behavior and for being disrespectful and the second one was a promise to never do it (hitting anyone with his cane) again.

Cody did do both and was remorseful for it. When he apologized to Bret he said "You are still my big brother aren't you?" and Bret said as he gave him a hug "Yes I am. Love you Buddy." Cody answered with a "Thank God. Love you too Big Brother."

Since then, Cody's been on the straight and narrow and doing a great job. Granted the boys argue every now and then like normal kids do.

He learned two very important lessons. The first one was that no matter how much he pleaded during the three weeks Henry Stoker was at Station 51, we weren't going to give into his pleading (which I have to admit I almost did a few times that Julie talked me out of because it wouldn't have been fair to Bret if I gave in to Cody and she was right) and bring Henry back until the three weeks were up.

Second lesson is that we could have easily cracked him but we stayed true to our word and took his dearly beloved dog away from him, which we felt was a stronger method of discipline and it would get through much better which it did.

So, overall, it's been a good three years with Cody. We certainly couldn't imagine our family without him. Nor do we want to. He's been a lot of fun and took us on a journey I myself never thought I would never travel being a parent of an adopted, handicapped child.

It's funny how fate changes things. We have been humbled and blessed by having Cody as part of our family. And you know what? I wouldn't want to change a thing!

End


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